


first time's the charm

by ThinkingCAPSLOCK



Series: NoctLuna Week [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, F/M, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 12:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11967837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThinkingCAPSLOCK/pseuds/ThinkingCAPSLOCK
Summary: "It's nice to get to meet you."-Day 4 of NoctLuna Week - Chocobros Meeting Luna





	first time's the charm

**Author's Note:**

> canon divergence, set before the Levithan awakening/battle on Altissia!

She meets Ignis first.

They end up together in the hotel lobby, waiting, separately, for Noctis to emerge from his room upstairs. Her eyes wander around the ornate pillars, the finery only found in Altissia, and land on the man waiting, patiently, at the foot of the stairs. He seems familiar, though not in any way she can place - she has not met the man before, but perhaps she has seen him. While her head tilts to the side, his eyes, behind thin-framed glasses, slide over. They flash with recognition. 

"Lady Lunafreya?" His voice is crisp and posh, and draws her attention immediately. She nods at him, and he takes a few steps towards her, giving a bow as he reaches her. "My name is Ignis Scientia. I-"

"You're with Noctis." She smiles, and this time it's his turn to nod, and everything clicks into place. She hadn't met him - but he's exactly like Noctis described. Prim, proper, well-spoken (and very doubtfully as nagging as Noctis complains he is). She offers a small curtsy in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person. Noctis often speaks of you all, and I should have guessed you'd be around. I've heard many good things."

"That's a bit surprising, knowing Noct," Ignis drones, pushing his glasses up. "He has a tendency to complain, especially when it involves him doing work, or cleaning up, both things I'm responsible for making him do." Lunafreya stifles a small laugh, hand touching her chest. She likes him already. "Nevertheless, it's an honour to meet you as well, Lady Lunafreya. Had I known you'd be meeting us here, I'd have ensured our young prince was conscious for the occasion." 

"Please, just Lunafreya is fine," she replies. Ignis opens his mouth, and she shakes her head. "I insist. I won't have you burdened with formalities. I'd love to get to know you. I've wanted to meet Noctis' friends for quite some time, and we're finally all in the same place."

Ignis glances up the stairs, towards, presumably, their hotel room. "I can't guarantee when Noct will awaken," he starts, "but if it's anything like yesterday, we still have at least an hour. There's a café nearby of superb quality. Might I treat you to a cup while we wait?"

"I would love that," Lunafreya replies, and she fills it with all the warmth in her chest. Ignis gives her a smile, gesturing towards the door, beginning to describe the types of tea and what biscuits pair well with each flavour. Though she hadn't come to meet him, she was glad to be leaving with him, glad to be listening, and glad to have met one of the most important people in Noctis' life.

-

She meets Gladiolus second. 

"Noct! There you are!" a deep voice booms out. Lunafreya and Noctis look over from their perch on the small fishing dock to the approaching gondola, carrying a very large man, tattoos and scars covering his body, who seems to have no fear of falling off the narrow edge of the boat he sits on instead of the plush chairs. Noctis reels in his rod, hefting it on his shoulder, and Lunafreya stands, no longer dangling her toes into the water. The man steps off with a wave over his shoulder to the gondolier. "Iggy was wondering where you two slipped off to. He didn't want a scandal breaking out or anything and sent me looking."

"I told Prompto I was going fishing," Noctis mutters. "Not my fault he didn't share."

"If only there was some way to talk directly to Iggy about your plans, huh?" The man - and Lunafreya knows it must be Gladiolus, as Prompto is neither tall nor muscular - looks over at her and grins. "So, Noct, gonna introduce me to your fiancée, or am I gonna have to do it myself?" 

Predictably, Noctis' cheeks heat up, and he tugs his hat lower on his forehead. "Luna, this is Gladio. Gladio, this is Lunafreya."

Lunafreya offers out her hand, smiling. Gladio's grip is firm, but not too tight, and she gives it a shake. "It's nice to get to meet you."

"Same to you. Feels like we've been following behind you for a while, Princess. Noct's sure happy we caught up." Gladio's grin holds a secret, and Noctis rolls his eyes at it, waving Lunafreya towards him. She leans her head over.

"Don't mind Gladio. He likes to stick his nose into other people's business," Noctis murmurs, for Lunafreya's ears only, but, by the large man's laugh, it seems he's heard anyway. 

"C'mon, Noct, you finally get to be with her, and you take her fishing? That's not the best date idea. I could give you pointers."

"It's not a date!" Noctis insists. He throws his arm out, the rod disappearing into his armiger. "We're just hanging out."

"You just wanted to fish. Admit it."

The debate continues, and Lunafreya steps back to observe. Gladio gives Noctis two noogies, and Noctis elbows him four times in the chest, to varying degrees of success. The air between them is casual, less strained than she expected, as if, perhaps, the break in Altissia also brings a small relief from their woes. It's as she leans back against the guard rail she notices the book stuffed into Gladio's back pocket. It's a familiar green cover, and she knows it well, and on a floating dock in the middle of Altissia is the last place she expected to see it.

"Excuse me," she interrupts, midway through Noctis outlining why she didn't mind the fishing trip (and she doesn't, not really, if it means spending time with Noctis when he's happy). "Gladio, the book in your pocket, is it...?"

"'Knowledge of Silence'? You bet it is." He tugs it out and hands it to her. Her fingers trace the worn cover, the dog-eared pages and split spine. It's rough, but well loved, all the same. She smiles, excitement bubbling in her chest. Gladio grins at her. "Guessin' you like the series?"

"I do, though I haven't read it in ages. My copies are back in Tenebrae."

"You're in luck then - I've got mine here. You wanna borrow 'em? I'd kill for a chance to get to talk with someone new. Iggy and I have pretty much covered everything there is to talk about, and you know Noct and Prompto won't be caught dead reading a book without pictures."

"I-"

Lunafreya means to say 'I'd love to', but her words are cut off by a loud splash and a yell. She and Gladio turn, and the knowledge of what's coming in Gladio's eyes as much as it's in her mind. Noctis, freed of wrestling and arguing, has resumed his fishing, and has already hooked one on the line. His face is focused, intense, fingers reeling at just the right time. 

"Typical," Gladio mutters, but there's no malice, no annoyance. He reaches over to her and flips open the book to a marked page. "So, Princess, tell me what you think about this passage here..."

-

She meets Prompto last. 

"Hey, Prompto! C'mere!" Noctis waves up to an overhead walkway, where Lunafreya can only spy the tips of spiked blonde hair. A gloved hand shoots out with a thumbs up, and soon enough, the lanky figure belonging to Prompto makes his way down the steps. A camera sits in his hands, held like it's been there since he was born, and his smile is a bit hesitant, if full. When he's approached them, Noctis gestures in the air between them. "Luna, this is Prompto. Prompto, this is Luna. I promised I'd introduce you."

"Hey, uh, wow! Lady Lunafreya! It's such an honour to meet you!" His grin grows, and Lunafreya offers out her hand with a warm smile in return. He stares at it, glancing to Noctis, who rolls his eyes and nods. Prompto shifts the camera to his pocket and takes her hand. He shakes hard, a little awkwardly, but with much enthusiasm. 

"Just Lunafreya is fine, Prompto," she replies. She takes his hand in both of hers. She'd wanted to meet him for a while, now. "I'm glad to finally get to meet the man who took such good care of Pryna. Thank you."

Prompto's eyes go wide, and the smile slips off. His lips form a small 'o'. His eyes dart between their hands and Lunafreya's face. She may have been a bit too forward. Noctis did say he might be shy. "You remember that?!"

"Of course I do. As does Pryna. I hope you two can meet again soon. She'd love to see you after so many years."

"I'd... uh, I'd like that too." Yes, she's definitely made him nervous. He glances over at Noctis, eyes a little wide. "Could you give me and Noct, like, two seconds?"

"Of course." She lets go of his hands and looks over his shoulder at Noctis, who's busy rolling his eyes as he checks his phone. Prompto slides an arm around his shoulder, then hauls his head down, making Noctis shout. A few passersby shoot them odd looks. 

Though she can't quite make out the words, she can hear the tone, which translates roughly to 'Why did you spring your royal girlfriend on me out of nowhere, Noctis?!' It's all she can do to hold in her laughter. Noctis' replies are not quiet, and she hears the litany of "It's fine, Prompto"s and "She already likes you, calm down"s and, finally, "She can probably hear you panicking, Prompt." 

After that, Prompto straightens, spinning back on his heel to face her. She gives a small wave, unable to hide her amusement. "It's alright, Prompto. I don't bite. I'd love to see what you were taking photos of, if you're alright sharing."

Prompto's head moves to the side, and he rests his hands, briefly, on his belt. "Y'know," he says, "you're definitely too good for Noct."

"Hey!" Noctis' head snaps up from his phone, and he lunges forwards, but Prompto's slid just out of his grasp. He hops over, hovering beside Lunafreya, pulling out the camera as he goes. She watches the screen light up, watches the excitement, the nervousness, in his eyes, and vows to do whatever it takes to ensure the boy who helped her so many years ago feels comfortable talking to her.


End file.
